Vehicles are designed with a view to reducing the mass of the vehicle but all prevailing vehicle tests must be met for a design to be acceptable. One vehicle regulation is Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 214 (FMVSS 214) that is entitled the 20 MPH Oblique Pole Side Impact Test. In this test, the pole location is set in a range of locations relative to test dummies corresponding to 5th percentile female dummies through 50th percentile male dummies. Another test that is applicable to vehicle roof structures in the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) test that is set up for a 5th percentile female dummy.
The roof outer panel may separate from the supporting roof structure as a result of the test which would be an unsatisfactory result of the test unless other design countermeasures are put in place to achieve satisfactory occupant containment. This disclosure is directed to providing a roof structure that resists separation of the outer roof panel from the roof supporting structure in the 20 MPH Oblique Pole Side Impact Test.
This problem and other problems are addressed by this disclosure as summarized below.